My Experience With Shorai Lithium Iron Battery...

I believed all the hype...called SHORAI, left a message, no response, naturally. I am ignored by the retailer who sold it to me.

My motorcycle will not start with this techno-wonder battery.

YES---held in clutch while turning over.
YES---choke was on all the way.
YES---started attempt for 5 seconds, waited 30 seconds between reattempts.
YES---left lights on for 30 seconds before first attempt to start
YES---my 3 year old YUASA I was trying to replace started my bike...

This SHORAI battery does NOT work! $156.00 and I have a paperweight!

My 3 old Yuasa starts my bike first time! Cranks faster too.

If there is something I am doing wrong to get this thing to work---please let me know. But so far, I am not impressed. I am NOT happy right now!

I cannot get a straight answer if a NOCO Genius5 will SAFELY charge one of these batteries...does anyone here know?

Thank you for your patience, very upset at the moment.

-D12E

 

I tried 3 times to start my bike with this battery, and it only turned the engine, but it would not fire. I put my 3 year old Yuasa in, and she fired up first time.

I am charging this junk right now with my NOCO Genius5...battery has NO juice. I guess it was sent to me nearly dead, so that is nice. I pay almost $160.00 for a battery and it is dead on arrival. 45 mins and counting on my charger, still in the red.

How old is this battery? It is supposed to be charged in box----plug and play. No date codes on the battery, box, nothing. I looked at every surface looking for age...could have been made yesterday, or 3 years ago. I have no way of knowing.

As long as I've had it, it has been in my warm house, out of the cold these "superior" batteries are so fragile against.

I am not impressed, nor am I happy. It obviously wasn't tested or pre-charged before being sent my way.

I'll change my tune when it has finished charging in a week and actually fires over my Daytona 1200.

I'll give the SHORAI this much, it is LIGHT!

SHORAI got back with me, as did the seller. They each blame each-other.

There is your punch line.

*bu-dum---tsh!*

 

Yes, the Genius5 has a SPECIFIC mode for LITHIUM batteries, and once connected to the terminals, it selects it for you----and will not allow you to charge a lithium battery under the lead acid option, for example.

It took a long time to find out a Genius5 was okay to use so I wouldn't burn my house down by using the wrong charger...I'm going to sleep now...see everyone on the flip side...

 

Yes, it is.

My seller/distributor told me SHORAI claims the battery will be replaced under warranty. SHORAI claims that once they have a replacement battery, they will send one to him, and it will come to me. So from this, I am to understand, they do not have another LFX14L5-BS12.

SHORAI claims the battery is bad and will be replacing it under warranty...and I am not exactly keen on toasting my sprag clutch trying with a recalcitrant/lazy battery, as to replace a sprag on a Daytona 1200 is an engine-out, case-splitting affair.

It is fair I got a bad battery.

It is not reasonable that the battery arrived totally flat and clearly not tested. It is also not reasonable that these batteries require a secret handshake to work. It is also absurd that a battery, which has the purpose to run a motorcycle, must live in razor-thin controlled laboratory conditions that the chemistry of these batteries clearly require. This tech clearly isn't ready for prime-time consumer use---at least in this application.

Sorry, SHORAI, I do not live in Argentina where it is hot all year long. I live in New England. Heaven forbid I want to ride in temperatures below 50 degrees. This requires I switch out this battery with an AGM/lead acid battery for the colder months if I want to condescend to ride when it starts getting chilly. So, as a rider, am I ahead having this battery when I still must buy a second battery, a heavy AGM to keep riding?

You make the call.

As it stands, I cannot even attempt to use this battery, topped off or not, until it gets warm enough. Sprag clutch and diva battery...

I may change my tune when the new battery arrives, but I remain skeptical for now. I'm so far of the opinion that lithium batteries work best for people in very warm climates, race teams who can afford to have 6 of these on hand (so hopefully one works), charging at all times in the paddock, so they can save 7lbs. on their race bikes, or consumer electronics, which by their very nature live a life isolated from extreme temperatures.

I expect things I purchase for a premium to work. That is why I don't buy cheap. This is why I'm less than enamored right now.

 

That definitely would have helped things.

Seller claimed it was fully charged, "plug and play".

 

UPDATE: Finally.

SHORAI and the seller made everything right.

Turns out, the old battery, no matter how long it is charged, even staying in a 70 degree home, would not hold a charge more than 4-8hrs.

I did 7-10 charges of this original battery, and it discharges to dead flat in only a few hours.

SHORAI sent me a new battery, which I have charged 100%, and it is staying on "maintain" until next Wed, when it is going to be 64 degrees outside, and I will attempt to turn over the Daytona 1200 with this new battery.

It looks like I was the guy (1/10,000 units?) who got a dud. Seller claims he charged the battery before shipping. Seeing it discharge so quickly, I am apt to believe him.

SHORAI handled the hiccup admirably.

Would I recommend one? I will post in about a week.

I am thankful for SHORAI's graciousness and swiftness.

More to come...

 

UPDATE:

Finally, got to the storage unit today, and it was 67 degrees...I connected the SHORAI battery, turned on all the lights for 30 seconds. Turned the bike off....repeated, turned all the lights on again, for 30 seconds...set the bike to PRI, set the choke, and fired over the bike after the second turn.

I am so far, very gratified.

The Daytona 1200 is another amazing subject that deserves her own post, which is to come soon! What a motorcycle!